The proposed conference, "Building Bridges: Translating Research into Action," will continue the dialogue begun in 1995 with the first Building Bridges conference. 1997 marks the third year of this collaboration between American Association of Health Plans (AAHP) and the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR) to present a research conference. There are several objectives in developing this conference. The first objective is to publicize high-quality health services research focused on the managed care industry for providers, payers, consumers and policy makers. The second objective is to facilitate discussion about the translation of that research into policy and action. And finally, the third objective is to create opportunities for collaborative activities among health plans and the academic, government and funding communities . This research is of critical importance as the managed care industry continues to expand and provide care for a large percentage of the population, including more vulnerable groups. Additionally, health plans often base their clinical, policy and operating decisions on specialized data. And finally, academics and government researchers want to produce representative, meaningful research .to further policy and legislative debates and to' guide policy implementation to improve health care.